The Most Costly Sacrifice

What is more costly than a man to lose his life? Who wasn't forced, but who willingly, humbly, and lovingly took our place and died for us. To go to the extent of having 7-inch nails driven through his hands and feet. To have a crown of thorns struck on his head. To have a spear pierced to his side, coming out with blood and water. To have a crowd mocking at him, a criminal railing at him. Luke 23:39:-43 ~ "One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." To all humanity, what is a more costly sacrifice? A person having to give up everything you worked so hard for - earthly pleasures that won't and never will in a lifetime satisfy the human body or flesh. Or a God having to give up his one and only son to come to a dark and broken world to save the souls of man. To come not as a king or a ruler, but rather come as a baby boy wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. Having to endure the wrath of God for us. Having become obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. (Philippians 2:8) So let me ask the question again: To all humanity, what is a more costly sacrifice? To lose all earthly treasures that we as humans work so hard for, the amount of time, effort, and money we put into? Earthly desires that ultimately never will satisfy our needs, ones that will only please for a little while but will fail, leaving us feeling hopeless, helpless, and empty-handed, wanting more. The most costly sacrifice that has ever been paid and always will be is Jesus Christ losing his life for us, enduring the wrath of God for us that absolutely no one would be able to do to save the souls of man. Only one could do exactly that, and that is Jesus Christ, the one and only. No one would ever dare to even have 7-inch nails driven through their hands and feet, being nailed to a wooden cross. No one would ever dare to have a crown of thorns struck on their head, a spear being pierced to their side. No one would ever dare to have a crowd mocking you, a criminal railing at you. There's just one person who willingly, lovingly, humbly bled for and died for me and you, because that right there is the very heart of God. That very one person, the very one God gave up his one and only son to die for the sins of all humanity, one who rose again 3 days later from the grave, one who will come again, robed in all glory and majesty, to come on Judgement Day to judge the living and the dead. That one person is Jesus Christ, the one and only!! So lastly, what is a more costly sacrifice? Amen! Glory and honor be to God and Him alone!!